Some still try to argue Biden is fit as a fiddle while Trump is in decline. Pictured: U.S. President Joe Biden. Photo Credit: Joe Biden/X.
In the world of liberal writers, there are some very talented and interesting people. I admire a good argument from my left-wing brethren because it forces me to re-evaluate, think more expansively, and consider other points of view. I would never diminish the contributions of many of these thinkers because they contribute to our pluralistic society, add dimension, provide colour, and remind us that we live in a culture of great variance. In a recent browse through my increasing Substack subscriptions, I came across someone who had found his way into my algorithm. I read his entry with interest but with escalating uncertainty. I did not know how this charming but nutty fellow had become part of my online computation. As I read, I thought he must be part of a marginal group who sincerely believes something untrue. Comparable to a member of the Flat Earth Society, an advocate of the moon hoax, or a dedicated enthusiast who awaits the arrival of the Great Pumpkin every Halloween. I was soon disabused.
In short order, I flipped to read the summary of the author’s credentials. It read as follows: “NYT bestselling author of eighteen books. Journalist. Attorney. Art Critic. Recovering professor, radio broadcaster and ‘Best American’ series editor.” I had heard of Seth Abramson; I had no idea that a man of such intelligence could be a crank. The July 9 article in his Substack found its way into my flow of posts. The title caught my eye, “We Now Know What Really Happened in Atlanta.” The summary should have tipped me off but it raised my curiosity instead. It stated, “Media lied to voters about the cause of President Biden’s subpar debate performance. The lie–described here in full–is unforgivable, and was intended to chill discussion of Trump’s cognitive decline.” The article went into full detail about President Joe Biden’s recent cognitive workup (held in March 2024) which showed nothing abnormal, how he displayed no unusual cognitive behaviour for someone his age before a trip overseas in June, his “gruelling” commitment to America’s interests while overseas that would be hard on a man half his age, and that the cold he had during the subsequent debate had subsided and he has been fine ever since.
The author then turned to President-elect Donald Trump and claimed that he has “demonstrated cognitive decline over the last year.” Abramson went much further, building a case that the major media was conspiring to protect Trump from any scrutiny regarding his health while harping on Biden’s alleged cognitive decline. Abramson then made the contention central to his thesis, “The only way for major media to resolve the situation in its favour was to turn a one-night situation whose causes and implications it quickly understood to be (respectively) transient and virtually non-existent into a bigger story that would at once plump ratings, virtue-signal even-handedness, and put progressive critics back on their heels. It also would punish an administration major media feels angst toward because it’s been far worse for ratings and for subscription models than its incompetent, corrupt, unprofessional predecessor.” Sadly, Abramson wrote thousands of more words I felt compelled to read.
In the article, written after Biden’s debacle and before the eventual switcheroo on July 21, Abramson tried very hard to cover up the truth with a larger untruth. A leftist who spilled barrels of ink outraged at the attempted “coup” on Jan. 6 and the attempt to blame FBI agents and former speaker Nancy Pelosi for refusing to order in the National Guard used the same tactic to bury what millions of Americans could see before their eyes on a national broadcast. I don’t mind reading fiction or considering alternate views of history in “what if…” scenarios. However, Abramson presents his ideas as factual and investigative journalism.
The article referenced those in the White House who called Biden “sharp and focused” throughout the spring leading into the early summer debate. There are too many whoppers to refer to but some deserve special notation. This one stood out, “Major media knew that Joe Biden’s lapses in Europe began as a result of this pre-forecast gross exhaustion, which had been brought on by a president overruling his staff to work harder for America than it would be wise for any president to be working.” I wonder why Abramson thought Biden could only work short hours, had to be transported off to Delaware for long weekends regularly and held one cabinet meeting his last year in office (his wife had to help him through it) and one press conference (a disastrous attempt to defend himself after Robert Hur’s report devastated his reputation)?
Still, our New York Times journalist emeritus had more to share. He claimed that the Parkinson’s doctor who visited the White House eight times had nothing to do with Biden, that everyone in the major media knew that once the president was over his cold he was as sharp as ever, and that calls from political leaders within the Democrat Party for Biden to step aside were false and never existed. I can only imagine what Abramson thought about Biden’s stumbles, falls, and dress sneakers. Just read on. The major media chose to selectively run clips of “Biden having difficulty getting off the stage as a result of a previously publicly disclosed neuropathy in his feet that has nothing to do with cognition but is exacerbated by stress and exhaustion).” Biden was in top shape, working so hard for Americans that he endured health setbacks that Americans mistook for an aging and doddering man about to enter his 83rd year. Surely by his 87th year, he would be doing the backflips and somersaults his press secretary insisted he did as he ran circles around his staff.
The article attempts to prove how much better a candidate Biden was than Trump and how a major media cover-up was underway to protect Trump. Space limits my ability to flesh out Abramson’s invention fully, but needless to say, since this posting on July 9, 2024, Biden has not aged well and the article worse. In the campaign’s closing days, Biden stepped on Vice President Kamala Harris’ message several times leading some to ponder whether he wanted her to win. Some went so far as to suggest he and the first lady voted for Donald Trump such was their disdain for Harris and the Democratic plot that replaced him. More likely, Biden simply remained exhausted and unwell because he is indeed exhausted and unwell.
Presumably, Abramson spreads disinformation because he either believes it (Trump truly believes the 2020 election was stolen and millions have been convinced of it because he told them), thinks it appeals to his readers, or knows liberals want to read about Trump’s cognitive decline. A smattering of comments attached to his article revealed that he had plenty of readers in lockstep with his theories. Melody L. wrote, “This is such important insight. To compound the strain, it’s my understanding that Trump continued to jabber while Biden was talking. Trump’s mic was turned off, but he was so close to Biden that it was impossible to completely ignore. I think under the circumstances, Biden was able to regroup and perform incredibly well. I hope people will read the full transcript.”
And Becky D. contributed, “It is breathtaking what a real journalist who knows how to dig for and then report the truth can do. You are one of the boldest and one of the best. Journalism requires hard work and integrity. Regretfully there are few in the business that can claim those traits. I am forever grateful that we have alternative outlets that platform voices like yours for the growing number of us who can no longer abide by the lazy tabloid “journalism” of the corporate-controlled mainstream media. While they have tried, they cannot shut down the power of real journalism. Thank you, Seth.”
I suspect many more want to believe what journalists like Seth Abramson manufacture. The next time someone raises the issue of misinformation, disinformation, or mal-information be sure to remind them that these practices exist on both sides, have been present since humans started using language, and no news entity has a corner on the truth or a monopoly on lies. And you can point them to Seth Abramson if they think all cranks are Republicans.

Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.